Marten Bequest

‘Advances’ is a big fan of any program that encourages young artists to travel, and thus admires the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarships. Every year, scholarships of $18,000 each are offered in six different artistic categories. This year, indeed, the trust is able to offer two scholarships in each category. It’s poetry’s turn again in this round, so $36,000 will go to two Australian-born poets aged between 21 and 35. Recent winners have included Judith Bishop and Michael Brennan. Entries close on October 28. For more information, contact Petrea Salter: (02) 9332 1559 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Changes at ABR

We like the people at Lonely Planet, but we went right off them recently when they persuaded our wonderful Office Manager, Dianne Schallmeiner, to join their editorial staff. Di joined us four years ago, as a volunteer, and soon became a staff member. As well as supervising the office, the bookkeeping and the database, Di has commissioned reviews and proofed each issue. ‘Very’ is a word we discourage at ABR, but Di leaves us with our very best wishes. She will join several ABR volunteers/interns who have recently been appointed as editors at Lonely Planet. Lorraine Harding, meanwhile, is the new ABR Office Manager.

Meanwhile at Eureka Street

There have been significant changes at Eureka Street. Marcelle Mogg, who succeeded Morag Fraser as Editor two years ago, has left the Jesuit publication to work for the Australian Nursing Federation as a journalist on their nursing journal. Bob Heffner, former literary editor of the Canberra Times, is Acting Editor. In a surprising move, Eureka Street is now a bimonthly publication (hitherto, like ABR, it appeared ten times per annum). Ms Mogg, in her final editorial, stated: ‘This change is part of a more general restructuring of Jesuit Publications … It also offers the opportunity to expand Eureka Street and to choose writing of an even higher quality and reflectiveness … The support of the Jesuit Order for this goal also remains firm.’

Special events

It’s not every day you get the chance to hear a Nobel Laureate for Literature, but this month you will have a couple of opportunities. As announced last month, on October 23 ABR will present ‘An Afternoon with J.M. Coetzee’ at the National Library of Australia (bookings: 02 6262 1271). ABR subscribers are entitled to a single free ticket; others pay $15. Wole Soyinka, the first African writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, will deliver the PEN Lecture for 2005. The lecture will be held first in Melbourne on October 25 at the State Library of Victoria (bookings: 03 9654 9068), then in Sydney on October 26 at the Sydney Theatre in The Rocks (bookings: 02 9250 1999).

Regional harmony

PEN Australia, the national branch of the international organisation lobbying for imprisoned writers and for freedom of expression more generally, is having a busy time as it is also involved with a series of events organised by the Asia and Pacific Writers’ Network, ‘Beyond Borders: Creative Strategies for Global Harmony’. A number of writers from the Asia–Pacific region have been invited to take part, including Alvin Pang (Singapore), Yu Jie (China) and Mohit Prasad (Fiji). They will participate in various discussion panels and readings on Sunday, November 6, at the Trades Hall Bar in Carlton, Melbourne. More details can be obtained from the Victorian Writers’ Centre: (03) 9654 9068.

Cosmos

Australia needs all the independent bookshops it can get, and can ill afford to lose any more, so, although ‘Advances’ was sorry to learn that Helen and Jack Halliday, after twenty years at the helm, are selling Cosmos, in St Kilda, it was relieved to learn that the redoubtable Readings Books & Music is the purchaser, meaning that bookworms will still be able to indulge their literary tastes on Acland Street, not just Sachertorte and every New Age crystal and scent imaginable. Readings co-owner Mark Rubbo has commented: ‘With five shops in Melbourne – Carlton, Hawthorn, Malvern, Port Melbourne and now St Kilda – we remain extremely passionate and committed to maintaining the strong independent voice and supporting Australian authors, musicians and film-makers’.